Social media and reality TV in focus after latest tragedy
Caroline Flack’s sudden death raised fresh concern last night after a number of deaths by suicide linked to reality TV and the pressures of social media.
The Love Island presenter’s arrest and then decision to stand down from the current series created a maelstrom on
social media. BBC breakfast presenter Dan Walker last night said abuse inflicted on social media must be addressed.
He said: “It must be heartbreaking for the family and friends of Caroline Flack to read tributes from some of those who hounded her. Our ‘cancel’ culture is brutal. We all have demons and flaws but we dehumanise each other and are then surprised when it is all too much.”
Love Island and other reality shows have come under pressure to offer better care and support for contestants. Former Love Island contestants Sophie Gradon, 32, and Mike Thalassitis, 26, took their lives after appearing on the ITV2 reality TV show.
At the time Ms Flack stepped down from the show, some fans and commentators said her treatment by TV bosses had been heavy-handed. They compared the handling of her case with that of ITV presenter Anthony Mcpartlin, who was allowed time to deal with the mental health issues that lay behind his drunk-driving conviction before returning to the screen.
Psychologist Graham Price said Caroline’s death was “tragic, sad, and did not need to happen”. He added: “When celebrities encounter difficulties, and because they live their lives under constant scrutiny because of social media, unless they have the training and resilience to accept what they can’t change, they can suffer dreadfully.
“People worry too much about things we cannot control, and often things are never as bad as we think they are. Celebrities live in a dog eat dog world, and they more than most, need to learn resilience.”